Planning to move can be stressful, but with a bit of careful preparation you can ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Start by sorting through your belongings and disposing of anything no longer needed – whether that means holding a garage sale or donating items directly to charity – before packing.
Get Organized
Before embarking on any move, the key step should be creating a room-by-room plan. This will enable you to determine how many boxes and supplies will be necessary, and begin packing rooms that have seen minimal usage in recent weeks such as guest bedrooms/bathrooms, storage closets or the basement/attic.
Before packing up, take an in-depth inventory of your possessions and declutter. This will reduce the number of items to move while making unpacking much simpler once in your new home. Donate anything you no longer require or wish for to charities for tax deduction purposes when moving.
As another helpful organizing tip, consider packing specific sections or zones of a room in boxes rather than mixing everything up all at once. For instance, nightstand items should go in one box while kitchen drawer items need their own box and so forth.
Start Packing
As soon as you’re ready, begin packing. Begin small and build up to larger items like clothes and dishes. Be sure to have enough boxes, tape, markers, labels and handcarts available so as to reduce physical injuries when moving large objects or boxes.
At this stage, it’s also important to safeguard furniture and electronics, such as artwork or mirrors in blankets; covering coffee table tops with blankets; or taking apart and wrapping each piece individually before labeling and taping together again later. Tape screws and bolts directly to their respective pieces of furniture as you do this work.
At this stage of your move, it is advisable to pack a box or suitcase of essentials such as clothes, toothbrushes, medications and food for children in an easily accessible spot so you can access these necessities if you need to wash your hands or enjoy a snack during the move.
Hire a Moving Company
No matter whether you’re selling your house or moving into an apartment, hiring a trustworthy moving company is crucial for saving both time and stress during your move. Start searching at least three months in advance to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Notify banks, credit card companies and student loan providers of your new address change as soon as possible. Also update contact information with doctors and other institutions. It would also be prudent to begin collecting documents like product warranties and manuals into one folder in case they get misplaced during your move.
As well as this, it’s wise to have a box ready containing essentials such as first aid supplies, pet food and supplies and any items marked “Open First” so they can be quickly grabbed on moving day. As a final step before leaving your home behind, conduct one final walkthrough and ensure all utilities have been turned off.
Packing Tips
Packing for a move involves many details that must be kept in mind. One such detail is to use a marker or label maker to mark boxes according to rooms and contents; that way you won’t waste time searching for places for old clothing once you arrive at your new home.
Sort through your belongings to identify items that no longer suit your lifestyle and dispose of those you no longer require, either through friends and family or donation to charity. In addition, consider hosting a garage sale before moving day so as to earn some extra funds!
Do not forget to pack important documents and a change of clothes! Furthermore, put mattresses and furniture pieces into trash bags for protection from dust during transport; use blankets as padding when wrapping fragile objects like mirrors, artwork or delicate pieces such as mirrors and paintings.
